Facebook Ads vs. Google Ads for Canadian Local Businesses
Google Ads: demand capture
- Shows when someone searches
- High intent: they need it now
- Text ads, calls, Local Services Ads
- You pay per click (or per lead with LSAs)
- Best for urgent and “near me” services
Facebook & Instagram: demand creation
- Shows in feeds, Stories and Reels
- People are not searching yet
- Photos, video and offers
- You pay mainly per impression
- Best for visual, planned and seasonal services
The core difference: intent vs. interruption
On Google, the customer tells you what they want by typing it: “furnace repair Winnipeg”, “divorce lawyer Mississauga”, “roof leak repair”. You pay to show up at that moment. The intent is already there.
On Facebook and Instagram, nobody is searching. People are scrolling. Meta’s ad system shows your ad to people it predicts are likely to respond, based on location, demographics, interests and behaviour, and increasingly on its own automated targeting. Your ad has to stop the scroll and create interest.
That one difference drives everything else: cost, lead quality, the kind of creative you need and which services suit each platform.
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Side-by-side comparison
| Google Ads | Facebook & Instagram ads | |
|---|---|---|
| How people find you | They search for your service | They see your ad while scrolling |
| Intent | High: they need it now | Lower: interested, not yet looking |
| Main ad formats | Text ads, call ads, Local Services Ads, Shopping, YouTube | Images, video, carousels, Reels, Stories, lead forms |
| Targeting | Keywords and locations | Location, demographics, interests, lookalikes and automated audiences |
| You pay | Per click (or per lead with LSAs) | Mostly per impression, optimized toward results you choose |
| Cost per click | Usually higher | Usually lower |
| Lead quality | Usually higher and more consistent | More variable; depends on form, offer and follow-up |
| Creative needed | Good copy and landing pages | Strong photos and video, refreshed often |
| Best at | Capturing existing demand | Creating demand and retargeting |
Which services suit each platform
Some specific examples:
- Google tends to win: emergency plumbers, locksmiths, towing, garage door repair, personal injury lawyers, criminal defence, furnace and AC repair.
- Facebook and Instagram shine: kitchen and bathroom renovations, landscaping and hardscaping, med spas and aesthetics, dental whitening and implants offers, Christmas light installation, pressure washing, window cleaning, home cleaning, moving companies with seasonal offers.
- Both work well together: roofing, HVAC replacement, windows and doors, real estate, immigration consultants, gyms and physiotherapy.
Cost and lead quality: the honest picture
Facebook leads often look cheaper, sometimes much cheaper, than Google leads. But a Facebook lead form is easy to fill in with one tap, since Facebook pre-fills the name, email and phone. Some people submit without thinking, or forget they did.
The way to keep Facebook lead quality high:
- Use the higher intent form type, which adds a review screen before submitting.
- Ask one or two qualifying questions, such as timeline, budget range or postal code.
- Make the offer specific: “free roof inspection with photos” beats “contact us”.
- Call within minutes. Facebook leads cool off much faster than Google leads.
- Send leads back to Meta as qualified or not, through a CRM integration or the Conversions API, so it learns who your good leads are.
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How to use both together
- Retargeting: show Facebook and Instagram ads to people who visited your site from Google but did not call. It is usually one of the cheapest sources of booked jobs.
- Seasonal pushes: run Facebook offers before peak season, such as spring landscaping bookings, fall furnace tune-ups or Christmas lights in September and October, so your calendar fills early.
- Social proof: customers who see your ads on Facebook often search your name on Google later. Brand search volume usually rises when Facebook ads run.
Example account structure: one prospecting campaign, one retargeting campaign, video only when it pays.
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Example creative. Phone-shot video and real job photos usually beat stock images, because they look like posts from a real local business.
Rules and settings to know in Canada
- Special Ad Categories. Meta requires advertisers in housing, employment, credit and financial products, and social issues, elections or politics to declare a Special Ad Category. Targeting options are limited for those ads. Real estate and mortgage advertisers are most affected.
- Anti-spam law. Following up leads by email and text must follow CASL. See CASL and your ad leads.
- Quebec. Ads directed at Quebec should be available in French. See French-language rules.
- Tracking. Install the Meta Pixel and, ideally, the Conversions API, so Meta can measure results despite browser privacy limits.
Starting checklist
To test both platforms fairly:
- Separate budgets and separate tracking for Google and Facebook
- Google: your top 3–5 high-intent services, phrase and exact match, negatives
- Facebook: one clear offer, real photos or short video, lead form with a qualifying question
- Retargeting audience of website visitors set up on Facebook
- Every lead contacted within minutes
- Booked jobs recorded by source
- Review cost per booked job after 60–90 days
Learn more about our Google Ads management and Facebook and Instagram ads services.
Frequently asked questions
Is Facebook or Google better for local businesses?
Google usually wins for urgent, high-intent services. Facebook and Instagram often win for visual, planned or seasonal services and for offers. Most local businesses do best with both.
Are Facebook leads lower quality than Google leads?
They can be, because forms are easy to submit. Qualifying questions, higher-intent forms, specific offers and fast follow-up close most of the gap.
Should I start with Google Ads or Facebook Ads?
Most service businesses should start with Google Search to capture people already looking, then add Facebook for retargeting and seasonal offers.
How much should I spend on Facebook ads vs Google ads?
Start with most of the budget on Google for high-intent services and a smaller test budget on Facebook, then shift toward whichever produces the lowest cost per booked job.
Do Facebook ads also show on Instagram?
Yes. Meta ads can run across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and the Audience Network. Most local businesses use Facebook and Instagram placements.